We are well into Lent here on our little patch of heaven, so meatless meals are on the menu. Fish in particular since groceries have a good amount of variety and something is always on sale.

This week we’re having steelhead trout cooked in parchment. Sounds fancy, I know, but cooking fish in parchment is a fool-proof way to enjoy moist, well seasoned fish without a lot of fuss. Looks impressive!

Steelhead trout is a member of the salmon family and has a mild salmon flavor. It’s usually less expensive, as well. Arctic char is another tasty, less expensive “salmon sub”. 

Roasted potatoes and sautéed spinach (drizzle with a little olive oil, and lemon juice) are nice sides for parchment cooked fish.

If you’re a fried fish fan, here’s a yummy recipe for batter fried fish that crisps up nicely. White fish like haddock, cat, cod, pollock, tilapia are all good candidates. 

Onion rings or fries and a bowl of slaw are perfect go-alongs for fried fish. 

Steelhead trout baked in parchment with lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning

The parchment won’t puff up much since there’s very little liquid in here to create steam. 

Ingredients

For each serving, 4 oz or so boneless steelhead trout, Arctic char or salmon 

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Favorite fish seasoning 

Salt and pepper 

Parchment paper

Parsley (opt)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375. 

Place each piece of fish in center of rather large square of parchment.  

Drizzle on a decent amount of olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning. 

Fold parchment over fish. Seal edges tightly in 1/4” folds, sort of like crimping pie dough.  

Place on baking pan and roast 10-12 minutes. Fish flakes easily when done. Don’t overcook. 

Place parchment package on plate. Open carefully, slide fish off, making sure to get all juices. 

Sprinkle with parsley.

No parchment? No problem.

Use foil. It won’t puff, but as long as you seal it (no need to crimp) you’ll have good results.

Batter fried fish

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds or so white fish, cut into 3-4” pieces

Seasoning to taste (we like seafood seasoning, salt and pepper)

Flour for dredging

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour 

Cayenne pepper powder to taste- start with 1/8 teaspoon

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Zest of one lemon (optional but nice)

1/2 cup water

1 large egg, beaten slightly

Vegetable oil – 1/2” deep

Instructions

Pat fish dry with paper towels.

Season, then set aside.

Make batter:

Whisk flour, cayenne and baking powder together, then stir in zest.

Whisk in water and egg. Batter is consistency of pancake batter.

Heat oil to 350 in large skillet. 

Dredge fish in flour, shake excess off. This helps batter cling to fish.

Dip fish in batter, let excess drip off.

Slide into hot oil, let brown on one side and flip. When brown on both sides, fish should be done. Check largest piece. It only takes a few minutes. 

Place fish on wire cooling rack to keep bottom from becoming soggy.

From Ina Garten.